University of Oklahoma Becomes First School to Accept Apple Pay Across Campus

[macduke]

Working at a University, 400+ isn't that wild to think about. You have printing stations, vending machines, bookstores, athletic shops, theatre box offices, places where you pay your bill in person, food & drink vendors, etc.

Not to mention all the terminals in the stadium, the library, parking spaces that take credit cards, computer repair, bike rentals…so many places. And like you said food vendors—they have a few terminals each and there are usually dozens of those. Bookstores usually have multiple checkouts at different entrances. I'm actually surprised it's only 400 and it makes me question whether they really upgraded all of them.

 

[macnewbie91]

Actually it's more like this:

1.Grandma takes out checkbook to pay. Clerk think, "Is she serious?"
2.Grandma is told that the store doesn't accept checks.
3.Grandma gets huffy and asks why not? Rambles about forced change, not trusting debit cards, etc.
4.Clerk tries to avoid saying, "Because it's 20-fricking-15 and any idiot knows that checks bounce higher than a pogo stick, everyone is given a debit card with their checking account, and debit cards are way more secure for the customer and retailer.
5.Clerk makes funny anecdote blaming corporate to act like their siding with grandma.
6.Grandma pulls out debit card.
7.Clerk thinks to self, "Why the f*** was that so hard? You had it all along."
8.Grandma swipes her EMV BankAmericard at a Wegman's terminal.
9.Terminal says, "use chip reader."
10.Grandma goes, "huh?!?"
11.Grandma says, "this fricken technology, why does it always have to change, I swear!?"
12.Grandma has to get shown where to put the card in the slot.
13.Grandma pulls the card out as soon as she puts it in.
14.Grandma has to be instructed to leave the card in the terminal until prompted to take it out.

It drives me FRICKEN NUTS when I see someone paying by check at the grocery store.

If I owned a store-- I'd take cash, American Express, MasterCard, Visa, NFC, Chip & PIN, and discover, I'd have a big sign out front that said "WE DO NOT ACCEPT CHECKS".

Payment method regulations should be advised by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express, and then approved by our government--this way fragmentation doesn't happen with payment methods, in return, the merchants should have to follow whatever is in the payment regulations or risk fines and permanent business lockout.

 

[StevieD100]

Grandma than takes out her 9mm Glock from her handbag and points it at the clerk saying,
You will take my Cash won't you?

The reason I pasted this was that I tried to use Apple Pay on Long Island last Saturday. The clerk insisted that I give my NY state zip code or the sale would not go through. As a visitor to the US let alone the state I felt like strangling her on the spot. I just walked out leaving her fuming. The sale was only for $10.99 + tax.
So when this idiocy of having to enter Zip codes going to end?
You are not exactly welcoming to us Aliens are you guys?

 

[macnewbie91]

Grandma than takes out her 9mm Glock from her handbag and points it at the clerk saying,
You will take my Cash won't you?

The reason I pasted this was that I tried to use Apple Pay on Long Island last Saturday. The clerk insisted that I give my NY state zip code or the sale would not go through. As a visitor to the US let alone the state I felt like strangling her on the spot. I just walked out leaving her fuming. The sale was only for $10.99 + tax.
So when this idiocy of having to enter Zip codes going to end?
You are not exactly welcoming to us Aliens are you guys?

I refuse to give the cashier my e-mail when they ask for it. I simply say "no thanks." If they have a problem with it, I'll just walk out of the store and they can put the stuff back.

 

[kdarling]

I refuse to give the cashier my e-mail when they ask for it. I simply say "no thanks." If they have a problem with it, I'll just walk out of the store and they can put the stuff back.

Although most often stores want the zip for advertising purposes, sometimes the credit card issuer itself will request a zip code to weed out fraudulent purchases. And of course it's really common for self-serve gas stations to require it.

The reason I pasted this was that I tried to use Apple Pay on Long Island last Saturday. The clerk insisted that I give my NY state zip code or the sale would not go through. As a visitor to the US let alone the state I felt like strangling her on the spot.

Yeah, that's got to be just as frustrating as someone from the US finding out they need a PIN to use their card at a European ticket kiosk.

Where's the bank for that card?

 

[Saucesome2000]

Grandma than takes out her 9mm Glock from her handbag and points it at the clerk saying,
You will take my Cash won't you?

The reason I pasted this was that I tried to use Apple Pay on Long Island last Saturday. The clerk insisted that I give my NY state zip code or the sale would not go through. As a visitor to the US let alone the state I felt like strangling her on the spot. I just walked out leaving her fuming. The sale was only for $10.99 + tax.
So when this idiocy of having to enter Zip codes going to end?
You are not exactly welcoming to us Aliens are you guys?

It's for fraud prevention, so I hope you don't take offense to it. Any time we use our cards at a fuel pump, we have to enter a pin for debit or the billing zip associated with the card for credit. I really don't think it's a bad policy, but understand your frustration. Though I'm not sure why she needed it for Apple Pay. That honestly doesn't make any sense. A lot of retailers ask for zip codes with every sale for marketing purposes. This was probably the case and some dumbass store manager told her that sales would not go through without it. Don't hat her for being rude, hate her for being dumb.

 

[konqerror]

If I owned a store-- I'd take cash, American Express, MasterCard, Visa, NFC, Chip & PIN, and discover, I'd have a big sign out front that said "WE DO NOT ACCEPT CHECKS".

If you owned a store, you'd realize that checks are the cheapest to accept of all of those choices, and at zero risk. With electronic processing, it costs them close to 1%, where credit cards will charge 3x as much. Even taking cash has higher costs, accounting for theft, mistakes, armored car service, bank processing...

 

[bookwormsy]

Grandma than takes out her 9mm Glock from her handbag and points it at the clerk saying,
You will take my Cash won't you?

The reason I pasted this was that I tried to use Apple Pay on Long Island last Saturday. The clerk insisted that I give my NY state zip code or the sale would not go through. As a visitor to the US let alone the state I felt like strangling her on the spot. I just walked out leaving her fuming. The sale was only for $10.99 + tax.
So when this idiocy of having to enter Zip codes going to end?
You are not exactly welcoming to us Aliens are you guys?

Did you tell her that you're not from the US? TBH, you probably could have given any zip code and it would have gone through. Like the other guy said, it mostly is used for advertising and fraud prevention.

 

[Saucesome2000]

Taking checks is cheaper than cash? Who knew?

 

[macnewbie91]

Although most often stores want the zip for advertising purposes, sometimes the credit card issuer itself will request a zip code to weed out fraudulent purchases. And of course it's really common for self-serve gas stations to require it.



Yeah, that's got to be just as frustrating as someone from the US finding out they need a PIN to use their card at a European ticket kiosk.

Where's the bank for that card?

They should just require the pin number that goes with the card. If it's a credit card, a signature should be fine.

 

[macnewbie91]

If you owned a store, you'd realize that checks are the cheapest to accept of all of those choices, and at zero risk. With electronic processing, it costs them close to 1%, where credit cards will charge 3x as much. Even taking cash has higher costs, accounting for theft, mistakes, armored car service, bank processing...

Too much risk involved with checks. It pisses off customers who are behind them, slowing down the number of customers per hour that can pay for goods, and checks bounce. If I was trying to run a business, I'd have better things to do than wait 3 minutes for grandma to look for her checkbook, write out the check, and then process it. Plus checks can be stolen and used by other people, as I'm sure a lot of the cashiers are too lazy to check someone's ID, like with credit cards.

You're saving pennies on the dollar while taking a check over a credit card. I wouldn't be that cheap of a business owner.

1% of a $50 sale, .50 cents. 3% of a $50 sale, 1.50. So I saved a buck at the time, but probably lost out on $20 worth of sales in the meantime because grandma decided to take 3 minutes to write a check.

 

[bookwormsy]

Too much risk involved with checks. It pisses off customers who are behind them, slowing down the number of customers per hour that can pay for goods, and checks bounce. If I was trying to run a business, I'd have better things to do than wait 3 minutes for grandma to look for her checkbook, write out the check, and then process it. Plus checks can be stolen and used by other people, as I'm sure a lot of the cashiers are too lazy to check someone's ID, like with credit cards.

Most businesses that have checks use a service to electronically convert the check to electronically debit the person's account. This service usually has fraud prevention built in.

 

[macnewbie91]

Most businesses that have checks use a service to electronically convert the check to electronically debit the person's account. This service usually has fraud prevention built in.

Then use a debit card, not a check, it's faster, and doesn't cost the merchant 3% I'm sure.

 

[jvlog]

BOOMER

 

[avanpelt]

Based on the screenshot, it looks like they'll be accepting the student's campus card via Apple Pay, correct? If so, that's cool. This isn't just about them installing NFC POS units to work with credit/debit cards via Apple Pay, is it? It would be cool if they could utilize this technology to unlock doors in the dorm one day too.

 

[Saucesome2000]

Most businesses that have checks use a service to electronically convert the check to electronically debit the person's account. This service usually has fraud prevention built in.

A lot of businesses (such as the one I work for and is a decent sized retail company) don't have the electronic check option as they don't want to pay for the hardware to service the one customer every two months who thinks we should still take a payment method that was invented by the Roman Empire.

 

[tmiw]

Don't a lot of places automatically put the check through the machine and have it print the necessary stuff now? All you'd really have to do is sign it.

Anyway, I wish something like Square Cash was more commonly accepted. I still have to write checks occasionally to pay for plumbers, etc., which in 2015 is unfortunate.

 

[chukronos]

Weird. I thought all commerce in Norman was done by trading pelts, sticks, and colorful stones.

 

[friedmud]

Been using Apple Pay with just vending machines at my College. Hoping they get will NFC terminals in the bookstores, Java City and Chick Fil A soon.

Same here.

Just showed someone yesterday how I can use my Apple Watch to buy some snacks at the vending machine. Worked beautifully ;-)

 

[Tech198]

big shots....

I just wonder if bit-coin would make sense as well then. at last that way nothing comes from the account, but then it could be confused as 'stealing'

 

[Dekema2]

It would be nice to use it at the 1 dining hall and food court on my pipsqueak campus.

 

[RobertMartens]

Surprised it wasn't a Bay Area school like Berkeley, Stanford or SJSU.

Actually I was on campus at Stanford at the end of July and saw a coffee machine in one of their cafeterias that was accepting Apple Pay. I noticed the Apple Logo and went over and took a picture of it.

 

[shpankey]

I'm of 2 minds of this.

Not because of Apple Pay being accepted in Norman, but the fact that all my relatives are from Oklahoma (name a town east of OKC to the MO and AR border, all the way south to TX, and there's a good chance I have relatives there), and my parents live in (and I was born in) Nebraska, and that some of them moved to Texas.

For those not in the know, when it comes to college gridiron, this 3-way rivalry is brutal, like Ohio and Michigan; NE doesn't like OK, OK doesn't like NE, TX doesn't like either NE or TX! Now, imagine those Saturday afternoons during a family reunion, and the Sooners are playing the Cornhuskers, or the Longhorns are playing the Sooners.. and I'm the one stuck in the middle!

In short, expect both TX and NE to accept Apple Pay in the next 2 weeks, and good luck in those games! I'll just watch the brutality from over on the west coast.

BL.

You are definitely not a Sooner fan. Almost all Sooner fans have immense respect for the Cornhuskers. Even root for them in bowl games. The old OU v Nebraska legendary rivalry is one of immense respect for one another. It's hard to explain to outsiders, as they just don't get it. But trust me, even down at the player level, there is an incredible respect for and from each program to one another.

We Sooners hate Texas, b/c they of course suck severely. Also dislike PAC... USC and Oregon leading that dislike. Mostly b/c they are cheaters.

 

[bradl]

You are definitely not a Sooner fan. Almost all Sooner fans have immense respect for the Cornhuskers. Even root for them in bowl games. The old OU v Nebraska legendary rivalry is one of immense respect for one another. It's hard to explain to outsiders, as they just don't get it. But trust me, even down at the player level, there is an incredible respect for and from each program to one another.

Did I say I was a Sooner fan? I'm not even a college football fan. Seeing that OK has another major sport in the state, in the Thunder, I can safely say that Nebraska's state religion is College football. And I've been to and seen Memorial Stadium in Lincoln become the most populated spot in the state every Saturday afternoon at 1:30.

I played catch football with Mike Rozier and Turner Gill.
My mother taught Calvin Jones.

On the other side of that coin, my uncle in OKC was friends with Barry Switzer. My aunt for a short time dated Spencer Tillman.

I'm not a Cornhuskers nor Sooners fan because I don't like the teams; I don't like football in general, because it is overplayed where I am from, long, boring, and with no continuity or flow to the game. the pace of it sucks. Oh.. not to mention the fact that I had it piled on me that I was from Nebraska every 6 months we drove to Oklahoma, as if it was taboo.

We Sooners hate Texas, b/c they of course suck severely. Also dislike PAC... USC and Oregon leading that dislike. Mostly b/c they are cheaters.

You'll have some hate mail coming from my uncles living in Paris, McKinney, and Ft. Worth. You know; rivalry and all.

BL.

 

[DARKUNIT22]

The title of this article is misleading. UO was definitely not the first campus to have Apple Pay. The University of Tennessee at Knoxville had it this summer. UO just seems to be the first to advertise it.